What is an undergraduate degree?
An undergraduate degree (e.g. Bachelor) is the award you receive once you have completed your course of study. It is where most first-time university students commence their tertiary studies. To obtain your degree you must complete a specified number and combination of units. Most undergraduate degrees can be completed in 3-5 years of full-time study or 6-10 years part-time.
You can find details about all our courses, including a course overview and rules, duration, study options and entry requirements in our Course and Unit Catalogue.
Your course is made up of a series of units. In most cases, degrees have compulsory units, referred to as ‘core’ units, as well as a selection from a specified range of units. In some degrees, you may also select units from a range of disciplines; these are referred to as ‘elective’ units.
A unit is generally equal to 6 credit points (you will see this written as 6cp). Units that cover two trimesters are generally equal to 12 credit points.
A number of degrees include majors, which can be considered as in depth study in a specific area or discipline.
What should you study?
Things to consider when deciding what to study include:
- Your areas of interest - students always do better when they are studying something that is of interest to them.
- Career goals - are you seeking:
- professional qualifications to progress in your career.
- to change careers, or;
- personal enrichment or fulfilment?
- Other considerations
- What current qualifications/work experience do you have?
- Would you like to study full-time or part-time?
- When would you like to commence?
